Andrea Hemmer Of Salon Owner and Consultant: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Make sure you set time aside to go over goals and KPIs with each team member. Goals are so important to help team members grow, even in tough times. Help them look ahead and see what’s possible. Always be optimistic.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Andrea Hemmer.
ANDREA HEMMER is an exciting and intellectual leader in the Salon and Beauty Industry. Her gift for mentorship and her unique blend of neuroscience, mindfulness, and spirituality led her to create the innovative system, Intelligent Huddles. Her program centers on building a foundation of self-awareness and mindfulness so leaders can communicate effectively, strengthen their relationship with team members, inspire higher levels of teamwork, build organizational trust, and improve their bottom line. Drea is based in Boise, ID where she owns an upscale salon and runs her consulting business.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I have been a leader since a very young age. I had a lot of energy and drive as a child, and I loved bringing people together and figuring things out. I remember being on a sports team and bringing my teammates together in huddles at an early age. I remember having an energy to help people get excited or recover if we were behind. In the dugouts, I was the one leading the cheering. Leadership has always been part of me.
I started my business in 2008, which was a very turbulent time to start a business and become a leader. This was during the Great Recession and I had to grow up quickly. I came from a business called Lunatic Fringe in Utah and was very much a part of that culture. I started my own Lunatic Fringe salon in Idaho and have helped bring together an incredibly talented team. Every day I have to tap into that same leadership energy I had as a kid. For me, leadership means leading by example. You can’t ask people to do things you aren’t willing to do yourself. This principle has significantly helped us grow our business and be successful.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
I had a funny experience when my husband Levi and I first started our business. We both played a bunch of roles in the beginning, including being our own cleaning company. We didn’t have a washer and dryer at our salon and would bring towels home each night. One night, I accidentally locked my car keys in the salon so we were somewhat stranded, standing in this alleyway downtown with three big bags of wet towels and nowhere to go.
Our salon is next to a concert hall and there were a bunch of people lined up waiting for it to open. I remember thinking, “Why are we doing this to ourselves? We should be having fun going to a concert, too.” We ended up going to a restaurant nearby while we waited to get the keys in the salon and I remember sitting there thinking how important it was to not take life and work too seriously. Silly frustrations are just part of building something amazing. It’s the consistency over time that really brings big things to life.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
So many people helped us get where we are today. First, my in-laws have been incredibly supportive. They fed us a lot in the early days when we were working hard to start our business and were so helpful. Also, my dear friend Jake Thompson, a fellow salon business owner, has been a huge help. He knows how to get a business started. He told us to enjoy the process of starting something new despite the challenges we would face. He taught me that no door is never closed, even when things seem hard. There are always opportunities and things we can learn. I still hear Jake’s voice in my head when I go through challenging times.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
I always knew what kind of business I wanted and the purpose for starting my business. I had worked at a company called Lunatic Fringe that had helped me grow in so many ways. It was there that for the first time I felt I had really found my tribe. Its systems and foundations were part of what I loved so much. I knew I could bring these with me as I started my own Lunatic Fringe salon. Today, everything I do has purpose within the day. Part of my purpose has been to surround myself with people who are as driven as me — and even better than me at some areas — so I can continue to become the best version of myself.
Our vision has always been about growth — we are a company with high standards and have invested lots of time and energy into creating the best five-star guest experience. We wanted a beautiful location and a culture within our walls that would embody our core values. At the same time, we want to be profitable and help our employees find financial freedom. Another part of our vision is teamwork. I believe that culture is built on relationships and relationships are built on communication. Having a team that is good at communication has been key to being successful.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
Like many businesses, we were hit hard by the pandemic. We were defined as a non-essential business so had to shut down for 53 days in 2020. This was so hard because we’d done so much to build a strong business and culture. This was part of the reason I knew I had to stay connected with my team while we were shut down. Like I said earlier, culture is built on relationships and relationships are built on communication. We’d been doing daily huddles for the past 14 years. We knew there was one thing that couldn’t be taken away from us during the shutdown and that was the huddle.
We committed to showing up each morning on Zoom at the same time we would’ve in our normal workday. We were able to support one another at these huddles and keep each other educated about the latest in the industry. We made a daily effort to ensure everyone was ok. This laid the foundation for us to be able to return to work immediately when we could re-open. We had all that time to prepare to re-open and were already in sync with one another.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
Even during the worst of the pandemic I’ve never considered giving up. Fortunately, the year before the pandemic began, I did a lot of personal inner-work in Mexico City, Italy, and India. My travels taught me how to ground myself. The things I learned put me in a place to better handle the challenges that came our way. I was able to stay in a service-oriented frame of mind and make sure my team was taken care of. At the same time, we were able to adapt and pivot in uncertain times. I’ve always looked for resources to help me through hard times, including a life coach, a business coach, and even a fitness coach. They help me harness my best energy. What sustains my drive is the people I surround myself with — from my coaches to my team members.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
At all times, leaders need to cultivate rituals to take care of themselves, which allows them to better take care of others. I set time aside for myself first thing in the morning by doing mindfulness practices, exercise, and meal prep. This helps me stay strong and allows me to lead through whatever uncertainty may lay ahead.
Additionally, it’s imperative that leaders continue to communicate with their team members during challenging times. Consistent communication with their team allows them to keep important rituals like celebrating wins, generating ideas, and coming up with solutions. It’s all about being connected, open and honest at all times, including the hard ones.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
As I alluded to previously, consistency is extremely important when times are tough. If you are having consistent daily huddles, meetings, town halls, and one-to-one coaching, then you’re setting aside the time you need to cultivate important relationships. This is where you bring in your energy, celebrate, and help your team through any tough spots. You have to be consistent during the good and bad times. This makes all the difference. Focus on the things that will help get your team through tough times. This will help keep them inspired and motivated.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
When you have to deliver difficult news, honesty is always the best way. The truth will set you free. It’s also important to prepare people to know that you’re going to be sharing news that’s unsettling or emotional. If I have difficult information to share with my team, I let them know beforehand that it’s not great news. I want them to know that we’re all in this together.
For customers, I am always transparent as this is the only way to build trust. I give them space to process difficult news and I try to be there to listen. Communication is super important for both customers and team members. Also, be sure to hold difficult conversations at appropriate times. Then, plan to find the best way through the challenge together.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
The future is always unpredictable, so leaders and teams must stay agile and flexible in order to “future-proof” themselves as much as possible. Having reliable systems in place allows everyone to be adaptable as rapid change inevitably comes. The reason I wrote my book, Intelligent Huddles, is because I’ve witnessed firsthand the importance of having systems in place to help us through challenges and uncertainty. The leader sets the vision and the team helps support that vision. Daily huddles are so important because they give us a chance to check in with one another and communicate positive and negative experiences. They also allow us to come up with solutions to challenges so we can move forward together.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
For me, the number one principle is consistency. This is done by having a strong foundation of systems and people that constantly embody actions that support those systems. Communication is also so important. I believe 99% of all challenges generally come down to communication. As leaders, we need to make sure we can keep communication strong, honest, and meaningful. We have to learn to be honest with ourselves and each other. Daily huddles have helped our team immensely with the principle of communication.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
One of the most common mistakes I see companies make is not having a handle on the financial aspects of their business. Leaders often don’t understand cashflow, profit, and loss. They need to learn what makes their business profitable and how to track the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are most important to their business. Additionally, there should be an open business plan that includes the team so team members know how to best contribute to the goals and KPIs.
Another common mistake I see is when leaders are absent. They have the title of leader, but are not in the day-to-day grind with their team. Team members need to see leaders working hard too in order to feel like everyone is “in it” together. Likewise, even if leaders are physically present, if they are not communicating effectively with their team it produces the same negative result. Cultivating relationships through open and honest communication is so important.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
To keep moving forward, leaders should seek to understand the ways they can meet the needs of their team and customers. They should do this so their team and customers will continue to put value in the services the company provides. At my salon, we do this by having strong systems in place that help us be consistent in our guest experience. We also make sure our team knows what their roles are, so they can show up and contribute and so we can provide the support they need in their roles.
Education is also huge — you must keep your team members educated. This helps cultivate confidence and trust. It’s all about how you can build rapport and trust — whether that’s between leader and team, or team and customer. All these things will help businesses achieve the growth they want.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
First, leaders need to take care of themselves. You should have a strong morning and nightly routine so you can cultivate your best energy. This includes self-love and self-care so you can show up with love and concern for your team.
Second, like I keep saying, communication is so important. Always strive to be a better communicator. Implement systems that help your team members become better communicators. When I first opened my salon, I didn’t know how to get information to my team in the best way. I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders as a new business owner. I learned that I couldn’t do it all alone. If I was going to be a leader, I needed to put systems in place to bring us together and get their input and support. That’s where the practices I talk about in my book, Intelligent Huddles, were born. I needed a way to create greater relationships and connection with my team. Emails alone don’t cut it. Face-to-face communication is so important.
Third, make sure you set time aside to go over goals and KPIs with each team member. Goals are so important to help team members grow, even in tough times. Help them look ahead and see what’s possible. Always be optimistic.
Fourth, as a leader, you need to stay extremely active during turbulent times. Share successes with your team, be there alongside them, and encourage them. Acknowledge successes. Support them no matter what.
Fifth, make sure you take time to create a vision for your business. Sometimes leaders get so busy they neglect to plan where they want their business to go. Not only that, but be sure to have a vision your team members can recognize and share. This is important in good times and bad.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite life lesson quote is, “Choose optimism, it feels better.”
This quote has significantly helped me along my journey in life. No one can take away our free will in saying yes and no in our personal and professional lives. In our own private thoughts, we have a choice to feed the negative or we can focus on the positive. I’ve always been a dreamer and try to keep an optimistic outlook when thinking about the future. As a leader, it can be too easy to get bogged down by uncertainty and challenges. Optimism will always carry you through.
How can our readers further follow your work?
You can follow my work and find me my on my website — dreahemmer.com — and on social media @dreahemmer. You can also find my book, Intelligent Huddles, at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and on Apple iBooks. The audio version will be coming out later this summer.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Andrea Hemmer Of Salon Owner and Consultant: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
